What is giving a dog choice?

As a dog caregiver myself when I first started delving into the world of dog professionals, I kept hearing the term: “giving the dog choice”. I thought what do they mean, how can I give my dog choice?

What prompted this blog is the picture of shelter Husky Max taken yesterday after we’d done a walk on the long line and he’d been able to run, sniff and explore. After we got back, Max chose to sit down next to me, as you can see the harness is no longer on, so he if free to be where he wants but chose to settle next to me. In that moment I felt we were connected by an invisible thread and all the other shelter dogs around us were quiet, a moment of peace for all.

Look at those eyes!

Here are a couple of ideas to get you started:

·       Letting the dog’s nose lead the walk, this is most easily done with a harness and long line which gives your dog the freedom to sniff where they want and venture to spots that take their imagination.

·       Choice of chew, chewing is an excellent and natural way for dogs to decompress and empty their stress bucket. When purchasing high value chews steer away from non-rawhide which although they last a long time and are relatively cheap there is a risk of your dog choking). Present the different chews and let your dog choose which one they prefer usually done by having a sniff and then putting the one they want in their mouth and walking off with it. Then all in the household should leave them in peace to enjoy it J